ABC of the Men's Suit - complete guide to men's tailored clothing

You want to know everything about the men's suit? Well, here is the place, where we'll try to answer all your questions about it, before you even ask. We start now and we'll keep adding information to help you learn more about every detail of men's suit.
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Men's suit - a set of matching outer garments, especially one consisting of a coat with trousers. There are many different types of men's suits, which are common for a wide range of occasions - Frock coat, Morning coat, Lounge suit, Dress coat, Black tie, Morning dress.

Past and present - originally (19th century), a tailor made the suit from the client's selected cloth and it was custom made to the measurements, taste, and style of the man. Since the Industrial Revolution, most suits are mass-produced and sold as ready-to-wear garments.

The cut
Shaping the silhouette is the essential part of tailoring and it often takes hand work at least at the beginning. A well-fitting coat is shaped from the neck to the chest and shoulders to drape without wrinkles from tension. There are two main cuts:
- double-breasted suits;
- single-breasted suits.

Fabrics
Most commonly, suits are made of wool. Wool fabrics all have different weights and feel and some of them have an S (or Super S) number describing the fineness of the fibres measured by average fibre diameter. As fabrics have become lighter and more supple, wool suits are acceptable for both cooler and warmer weather. Other materials are also used sometimes - either alone or blended with wool - for example cashmere and silk.

Front buttons
Most single-breasted suits have two or three buttons. One or four buttons are unusual and it is rare to find a suit with more than four buttons. For the double-breasted jackets six buttons are typical.

Lapels
The jacket's lapels can be notched, peaked, shawl, or "trick". Each lapel style carries different connotations, and is worn with different cuts of suit. The width of the lapel has changed over the years and it is a varying part of the men's suit.

Pockets
Most man's coats have a variety of inner pockets and two main outer pockets, which are either patch pockets, flap pockets or jetted pockets. In addition to them, some suits have a ticket pocket - usually located just above the right pocket and roughly half as wide.

Sleeves
During the years, the number of buttons (1 to 5) on the sleeve's cuff depended on the formality of the men's suit. Nowadays four buttons are common on most business suits and even casual suits.

Vents
Vent - a vertical slit at the back or both sides of a jacket. Originally, vents were a sporting option, designed to make riding easier. Today, suits are in one of these three styles:
- the single-vented style (with one vent at the center);
- the double-vented style (with one vent on each side);
- the ventless style.

Vests/Waistcoats
Until 1940s vests were almost always worn with suits and since then, they go in and out of fashion during the years.

Trousers
Suit trousers are always made of the same fabric as the jacket. Their width has varied considerably throughout the decades. Other difference in suit trousers could be the use or not of pleats.

Breeches
Knee-length trousers, often with buckles or decoration at the bottoms, worn by men in the 17th to early 19th centuries. While once common, nowadays they are typically worn only when engaged in traditional outdoor sports like shooting and golf for example.

About the Author

Veselka writes for the menswear section of Be Global Fashion Network. She has a passion for classic men`s elegance and she is keen on giving advices to men in order to look and feel better. She also has interest in the men`s fashion industry and sustainable fashion.

We are looking for men's suit tailors, fashion designers, managers, fashion consultants who want to share their knowledge and tips in an article or video and contribute to the site! Please email us at contributor@bgfashion.net Don't miss the opportunity as this will be a free advertisement for yourself and your menswear brand!